PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Maryland

Talbot County, MD

Talbot County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

13.7%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
10.3%
on SNAP
38K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MD

The food-access picture

13.7% of Talbot County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
7.3%
households, no vehicle
9.3%
below poverty line

Low access = living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Food deserts add a low-income condition (USDA LILA, 1-and-10-mile measure).

Talbot County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.7% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 5,168 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,229 low-income residents.

How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts

The USDA measures food access by distance to the nearest supermarket. A census tract is "low-access" when a meaningful share of residents live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban areas, or more than ten miles in rural areas. A tract becomes a "food desert" only when it is both low-access and low-income, because distance is far harder to overcome for households without a car or a cushion in the budget. Counts on this page are aggregated from the tract level, where the federal data is actually published, so a single county figure can hide neighbourhoods that are much better or much worse served than the average. Distance also does not capture everything that shapes whether a family eats well: the presence of a full-service grocer rather than a convenience store, public transit, food pantries, and the price and quality of what is on the shelf all matter beyond the radius the Atlas can draw.

How Talbot County compares nationally

Talbot County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.7% low-access share that beats 29% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,224).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Talbot County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 census tracts in Talbot County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Talbot County, MD USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (70.0%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (30.0%) Adequate 70% Limited 0% Severe 30% Food-access tier distribution: Talbot County, MD
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Talbot County vs. other Maryland counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Maryland

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Talbot County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)37,782
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population5,168
Low-Access Share13.7%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,229

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Talbot County
IndicatorValue
Population37,917
Median Household Income$84,811
Poverty Rate9.3%below the national average
SNAP Households1,692
SNAP Participation Rate10.3%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.3%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.2%
SNAP participation in Talbot County 10.3%

About 10.3% of Talbot County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 13.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,692 households here.
  • 7.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access).

USDA low-access figures reflect the 2019 Atlas (2010 tract populations); socioeconomic context is the latest Census ACS 5-year (2024).

What the food-access data shows for Talbot County

near the national share

3 of Talbot County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 30.0% of all its tracts.

An estimated 5,168 residents, roughly 13.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,229 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (70.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Talbot County

Talbot County has 40 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 13 locations (33% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 13

  • 7-eleven 18677b 18677b, easton
  • carroll fuel market, easton
  • carroll mart, easton
  • highs of baltimore, llc 39, trappe
  • highs of baltimore, llc 95, saint michaels
  • royal farms 421, easton
  • royal farms 53, easton
  • shore stop 228, trappe
  • super soda, easton
  • tilghman island country store, tilghman
  • u5 foods 4, easton
  • u5 inc, easton
  • wawa 589, easton

Combination Grocery/Other · 9

  • cvs pharmacy 2531, easton
  • dollar general 21887, easton
  • dollar general 22918, easton
  • dollar general 30809, trappe
  • dollar tree 347, easton
  • family dollar store 3172, easton
  • mill creek farms, wye mills
  • ocean state job lot 652, easton
  • walgreens 09967, easton

Super Store · 5

  • bj's wholesale club 322, easton
  • giant food 323, easton
  • harris teeter 380, easton
  • target 2310, easton
  • walmart 1715, easton

Supermarket · 4

  • acme 3841, easton
  • aldi 71071, easton
  • st. michaels market, saint michaels
  • weis markets 275, easton

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • la selecta, easton
  • mercado latino international foods, easton
  • plaza latina food market, easton

Farmers' Market · 2

  • dover road artisan's & farmer's market, llc, easton
  • st. michaels farmers market inc, saint michaels

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • teddy bear fresh produce, llc, easton

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • village shoppe llc, st. michaels

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • cole's seafood house & deli llc, easton

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • hernandez grocery store, easton

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Maryland

Allegany County
30.4% low-access · 21.0% SNAP
Anne Arundel County
33.7% low-access · 6.5% SNAP
Baltimore city
4.5% low-access · 23.2% SNAP
Baltimore County
21.8% low-access · 11.3% SNAP
Calvert County
38.6% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Caroline County
9.2% low-access · 17.6% SNAP

Compare Talbot County vs Allegany County → · All Maryland counties →

Food access nationally, Maryland in context

Talbot County sits inside Maryland (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Talbot County has low food access? ▼
13.7% of residents in Talbot County, MD live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Talbot County? ▼
10.3% of households in Talbot County receive SNAP, covering 1,692 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Talbot County? ▼
The poverty rate in Talbot County, MD is 9.3%, with a median household income of $84,811 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Talbot County a food desert? ▼
3 of Talbot County's 10 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Talbot County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.3% of households in Talbot County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
Data Sources & Methodology

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019): low-access and food-desert tract classifications, low-access population, and low-income low-access counts. ers.usda.gov/food-access-research-atlas

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates: population, median income, poverty, SNAP participation, vehicle access, and group quarters. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs

Low access is defined as living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket; a food desert adds a low-income condition. Read the full methodology →

Data current as of (most recent source-data vintage; figures reflect the 2019 USDA Atlas and 2024 Census ACS).

Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.